Trump States He Is Not Contemplating Sending Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.

FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not actively contemplating sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist on his plane, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a transfer.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Despite Weapon Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Russian armed and key objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. The country is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian producers for December delivery, as per sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was also expected to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian offensive involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's sights for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defence,” he said, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 people, among them 2 minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut power to the entire east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.